NEW YORK — As he watched Saquon Barkley hold his new jersey on draft night, Penn State coach James Franklin recalled the steps that led to the moment.

Franklin remembered recruiting trips, meeting with administrators at Whitehall High School and a visit to the Barkley’s home in Coplay. And, of course, Barkley’s career at Penn State.

“That moment,” Franklin said, “was pretty powerful.”

Prior to Penn State’s Coaches Caravan stop Tuesday in Manhattan, Franklin reminisced about the running back who prompted the coach’s first trip to the NFL draft. Franklin also said that Barkley’s legacy will live long in State College and will help fuel the 2018 team.

“When your best player is one of your better workers, and is high-production, low-maintenance, it sets the tone for the organization,” Franklin said. “That’s when guys leave the program and they’re legends. To me, that’s what Saquon is.”

Barkley, who begins his first rookie minicamp with the New York Giants this weekend, has plenty to learn about the NFL, Franklin said. But the running back has an “NFL-ready body” and a mature approach to the game that will ease his transition.

“He’s not one of these guys who feels like he’s arrived,” Franklin said. “This is just the beginning for him.”

Further, Franklin said that Barkley’s legacy at Penn State will have an impact the Lions’ future. Barkley’s success made fellow players “hungrier,” Franklin said, and his off-field approach resonated as well.

“People saw the type of investment he made, and have the type of success that he had, but at the end of the day you’re still going to be remembered by how you treat people,” Franklin said. “I think he’s left a legacy at Penn State from that perspective.”

Pitt series on hold: Pitt Athletic Director Heather Lyke said recently that she’s waiting to hear from Penn State regarding the renewal of their football series in 2026.

On Tuesday, Penn State Athletic Director Sandy Barbour said that she doesn’t expect the series to return for at least four years after that.

“It’s a complicated puzzle,” Barbour said prior to Penn State’s Coaches Caravan in Manhattan. “We’re probably not going to do anything at this point until maybe some point after 2030.”

Last month, Lyke told reporters in Pittsburgh that she had proposed another four-year series between the two teams beginning in 2026. Lyke said that Pitt would wait “patiently” for Penn State to respond, though not for much longer.

“Out of the respect for Penn State and the opportunity within the Commonwealth, we want to play Penn State,” Lyke said. “If they don't, we will obviously shift gears.”

Barbour said Tuesday that she has had conversations with Lyke, adding that both programs have agreed to postpone the potential renewal. As she has done before, Barbour cited the Big Ten’s nine-game conference schedule as a mitigating factor.

Penn State and Pitt will play the third game of their current four-game series Sept. 8 at Heinz Field. The series ends in 2019 at Beaver Stadium.

The teams played annually from 1935-1992, then resumed their series with four games from 1997-2000.

Regarding September’s game at Heinz Field, Barbour said she has not received an official start time, despite the Pittsburgh Pirates changing their schedule that day to accommodate a potential night football game.

Last month, the Pirates shifted the start time for their Sept. 8 game at PNC Pack to 1:05 p.m., saying it would “allow for Saturday night college football on the North Shore.”

“I haven’t heard a game time [for Penn State-Pitt], so I’m not quite sure what the Pirates were doing,” Barbour said.